A man was arrested for allegedly attempting to cause ‘mass harm’ by distributing rat poison-filled capsules disguised as painkillers during a Muharram procession in Mumbai.
The Mumbai Police said the accused was distributing capsules containing zinc phosphide, a rodenticide, a type of pesticide specifically formulated to kill rodents, such as rats, mice, squirrels, and beavers. According to the Mumbai Police, a major tragedy has been averted with his arrest.
The arrested man is indentified as Faiyaz Premji, who is 39 years old and is a resident of Pune.
“The accused had ordered online around 50 kg Zinc Phosphide, and 30,000 empty capsules. He had filled each capsule with 1 gram Zinc Phosphide, staying in the guest house for over 15 days. These tablets were then distributed during the procession,” a police officer said on conditions of anonymity. All the seized items would be sent to the forensic laboratory in Kalina for confirmation, he added.
At the guest house in Dongri where Premji was put up, police found around 30,000 tablets of which 14,900 were filled with Zinc Phosphide.
{{/usCountry}}At the guest house in Dongri where Premji was put up, police found around 30,000 tablets of which 14,900 were filled with Zinc Phosphide.
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How was the ‘mass harm’ planned?
The case came to light after a complaint was lodged by 26-year-old Salman Sayyad, who allegedly consumed one of the capsules during the Muharram procession. The procession had started from Noor Baug in Dongri and was heading towards Rehmat Baug Kabrastan via Hancock Bridge.
According to Sayyad, a burqa-clad woman approached him and offered capsules, claiming they were painkillers. Police said several other participants also consumed the capsules after they were distributed by the woman and others, including the accused, Premji.
As people who had consumed the capsules began complaining of nausea and uneasiness, police personnel deployed along the procession briefly detained Premji and recorded his identity and address before letting him go.
As the condition of those who had consumed the capsules worsened, with reports of people fainting emerging between 4 am and 5 am on Saturday, police traced Premji to the guest house where he was staying. During the search, officers recovered around 14,900 capsules allegedly filled with zinc phosphide, a highly toxic rodenticide, and arrested him.
Police said zinc phosphide reacts with stomach acids to release phosphine gas when ingested, which can enter the bloodstream and cause severe poisoning, including multi-organ failure and, in some cases, death.
Premji, a resident of Viman Nagar in Pune, works with his father at their paint manufacturing unit. He has been booked under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 123 (causing hurt by means of poison) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
(With inputs from Vinay Dalvi)